


Loyalty

by propheticfire



Series: Viren Week [2]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Food, Loyalty, M/M, Viren Week (The Dragon Prince), Viren Week 2020, slight innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23506090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/propheticfire/pseuds/propheticfire
Summary: When a late snowstorm ruins Viren's birthday plans, Gren tries to cheer him up--by testing his loyalty.
Relationships: Gren/Viren (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Viren Week [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690708
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	Loyalty

“I know just the thing that’ll brighten your spirits!”

Gren’s unfailing optimism should be a source of annoyance, but Viren finds he doesn’t mind it. Or, to be truthful, he found it had grown on him. He even looks forward to it now, in those rare moments they manage to carve out for each other. How they’d fallen into this… _whatever_ it is, he’s still not sure. But Gren is like a breath of fresh air in an old, dusty room, a beam of soft sunlight in the shifting shadows, and Viren feels somehow just a little lighter, when Gren is around.

It’s a very welcome thing, especially today. For once, he hasn’t forgotten his own birthday. With no pressing matters to attend to or projects to mind, he’d planned to treat himself for a change. A leisurely walk around the lake, followed by some reading in the gardens, perhaps a light lunch of fresh greens and soft bread on the terrace, then more time outside, enjoying the vibrant spring atmosphere. But plans so often go awry. The day had started overcast, which did not necessarily mean a cancellation of his plans, but halfway around the lake, it started raining, and then _snowing_. Wet, heavy snow, covering the ground and benches and turning the paths to slush. By the time he’d returned to the castle, he was soaked through, and chilled to the bone.

So much for the rest of the day.

Except that then, General Amaya had arrived, to talk with Harrow and visit the Princes. And _with_ her…

Gren had found him in front of the large hearth in the castle kitchens, cradling a mug of tea in one hand. He’d traded his wet clothes for dry ones, but the chill of the snow still clung to him. Gren’s smile, though, was warm. And Gren’s skin, too, as he came to stand beside Viren, lightly brushing the backs of his fingers over the back of Viren’s free hand, subtle enough that no one would notice.

“You look troubled, High Mage,” Gren had said. “Is something wrong?”

“Not _wrong_ ,” Viren had replied, “just…” And he told Gren about his dampered plans.

Gren had thought for a moment, and then exclaimed, “I know just the thing that’ll brighten your spirits!”

And now here they are, with Gren elbow-deep in a bowl of flour and butter and other ingredients Viren had scarcely seen before Gren had swiftly dumped them in, beaming as he mixes.

“This is gonna be the best dessert you’ve ever had! Trust me.”

Viren gives him a skeptical look over his mug of tea. “I _did_ tell you my favorite was crème brûlée.”

“I don’t know, I think I can sway you. Pass me that round pan?”

Viren does as asked, and Gren pours the creamy batter in. Though the kitchen is unfamiliar, Gren moves with practiced ease. It never failed to surprise Viren, how easily Gren adapts to whatever situation he finds himself in. Perhaps that’s why this… _whatever_ it is, seems to work.

The pan is in and out of the hearth before Viren realizes. While it baked, Gren had engaged him in a conversation of what books he would have read if the gardens hadn’t been covered in snow, and with a willing audience, Viren had chatted away eagerly, describing treatises on dehydrating and reconstituting liquid spellcasting components, trade history between Katolis and Del Bar, theories of how preparing certain sigil inks in different climates might affect their magical properties, and a small tome of old elvish poetry he was particularly curious about.

“Sounds like a busy morning,” Gren says, another bowl in his hand as he whips sweetened cream into fluffy peaks. “I’m sorry the gardens are full of snow now, but I hope you at least still get to your reading.”

“Thank you.”

They lapse into silence for a moment, while Viren reheats his tea and contemplates saying what’s on his mind. At long last, he decides to probe.

“Commander Gren, tell me something.”

“Hmm?”

“You spend more time with General Amaya than anyone. You speak as her voice. Yet you’ve sought _me_ out—about whom we all know she has strong opinions—on multiple occasions, and you not only tolerate my company; you engage with me, and…encourage me.” He takes a sip of his tea. “Why?”

Gren sets the bowl down. He turns to retrieve the cake from the cooling rack, and with skilled hands coaxes it out of the pan, but Viren can tell his mind isn’t on the task. After slicing it through the middle and separating the top half from the bottom, he stops.

“I translate for General Amaya. I don’t speak for her. And I love her dearly. But that doesn’t mean we’re the same person. And that doesn’t mean I follow with blind loyalty.”

He slides another bowl over, with sugared strawberries he’d prepared while the cake was baking, and spoons a generous helping of fruit and juice over the bottom layer of the cake.

“You… There’s something about you. People have such intense reactions toward you. You’re very…compelling.”

He dollops a large mound of whipped cream over the berries, then settles the top layer of cake over it.

“There’s a lot more to you than the side I normally hear about. And I want to hear more.”

He tips the rest of the strawberries onto the cake, letting the juice run down over the edges, then piles on the whipped cream.

“Plus, you’re very cute.”

He cuts two wedges out of the cake and slides one to Viren. “Strawberry shortcake?”

Viren’s heart skips a beat. Gren— _What—?_ Gren thinks— He thinks— _What—?_ He opens his mouth to respond, but finds it suddenly full of sweet berries and cake and cream.

The fork slides out from between his lips, and Gren smiles—perhaps too innocently—as he sets it back down on Viren’s plate. “And now, Lord Viren, let’s talk about where _your_ loyalty lies. What do you think? Is it the best you’ve ever had?”

Viren chews and then swallows. The cake is buttery and moist, the strawberries sweet with just a hint of tang, and the cream is cool and refreshing.

“My loyalty to crème brûlée…is being tested.”

Gren’s face lights up like the sun and he laughs. Eyes shining, he takes Viren’s hand.

“Happy birthday, Viren.”

**Author's Note:**

> The treatise on "[dehydrating and reconstituting liquid spellcasting components](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21969601)" is a fic which is possibly the most delightfully nerdy thing I've seen in the TDP fandom, and I highly encourage you to check it out.


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